Combined mail despatcher and receiver.



No. 894,596. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908. J. E. CARTER. I COMBINED MAILDESPATOHER AND RECEIVER.

APPLICATION I D F LE DB0 19 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M a a No. 894,596. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908. J. E. CARTER. GOMBINEDMAILDESPATUHER AND RECEIVER.

APPLIO TI N FILED E A 0 D 19 1907 3SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 894,596. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908. J. E. CARTER.

' [COMBINED MAIL DESPATGHER AND- RECEIVER.

A PILIOATION FILED DEC-19,1907.

S'SHEETSQSHEET a;

Hill" I Wake/ans JOHN E. CARTER, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED MAIL DESPATGHER AND RECEIVER.

, 'Application filed December 19, 1907. Serial No. 407,172.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented July 28, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN E. CARTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at'Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined Mail Despatcher and Receiver, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in combined mail despatcher andreceiving apparatus, and the object of the invention is the provision ofmeans for facilitating the delivering of mail bags from a moving vehicleor car, and the delivery of mail bags from a stationary support ontosaid vehicle or car,

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed:

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatusconstructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the car receiving-device. Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenon line 3, 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view, in end elevation, of the carreceiving-device. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a stationary deliveringand receivingdevioe, while Fig. 6 is a view in end elevation thereof.Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the bag-attaching meanscarried by the outer end of the primary lever-arm. Fig. 8 is afragmentary, horizontal, sectional view of the inner end of theauxiliary leverarm, showing the bearing and the support therefor. Fig. 9is a detail, vertical, sec tional view of the central standard of thedelivering and receiving-device frame. Fig. 10 is a sectional viewshowing the bearings of one of the receiving-arms of the delivering andreceiving-device.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates, preferably, a carprovided with a door or opening '2. Secured to the sides of the car, areupper brackets 3 and lower brackets 4. Journaled in the brackets 4 is ahorizontal rod or bar 5, which is provided with screw-threaded portions6, at its ends, and these screw-threaded ends of the rod 5, extendthrough the apertured, bulged portions 7 of brackets 4. The brackets 3are also provided with apertured, bulged portions 8, and a rod or bar 9,similarly-constructed to the rod or bar 5, is also supported in thebulged portions 8. Threaded upon the rods or horizontal members 5 and 9are looking nuts 10. These nuts are adapted to be threaded against thebrackets 3 and 4 for securing the rods 5 and 9 against displacement offof said brackets.

Rotatably mounted upon the rod 9, is a primary member 11, com rising abody or sleeve 12, having at one si e an integral, laterally-extendingextension 13, terminating in a receiving-arm 14, at its outer end, andalso in an integral, bifurcated extension 15. The receiving-arm 14 isprovided with an outwardly-extending spur 16, for directing the mail bag17 into the narrow slot 18 of the receiving-arm 14. A horizontal memberor piece 19 is ivotally mounted upon a pin 20, within the ifurcatedportion of extension 15; the horizontal member 19 is provided with flatsides engaged by flat springs 21, ositioned upon opposite sides thereofan secured upon the bifurcated extension 15 by said pin or rivet 20. Iprovide, preferably, two springs 21, because when the car is moving inthe opposite direction, and it is necessary to reverse thereceiving-device 11, the upper 'end of a bag, as for instance, 22, canbe supported upon the member or piece 19 and held thereon by the otherspring; the reversing of the receiving-device 1 1 is accomplished bythreading the nuts 10, carried by the rod 9, inward, and removing oneend of the bar 9 out of one of the bulged portions 8 of a bracket 3, andthen withdraw the other end from the other bulged portion and turningthe whole device. The arm 14 has a springaction, as the slot 18 isformed by bending portions of the arm substantially parallel, so thatthe portion at the rear of said slot 18 is Ejositioned contiguous to theextension 15.

xtending into the car from the sleeve or cylindrical body 12, is anextension 23, which is provided with an eye-bolt or loop 24 upon itsupper face and with an eye-bolt or loop 25 upon its under face.

An auxiliary supporting-device 26 is carried by the rod 5, and saiddevice 26 comprises an annular sleeve or cylindrical body 27 having anoutwardly-extending proj ection or extension 28, which is bifurcated, atits outer end, and in the bifurcated portion is positioned apivotally-mounted plate or member 29, and saidplateis held in thebifurcated portion by any suitable fastening means 30,

ig. 4. A spring 31 is bowed, at its center, and clamps against the underface of the plate 29, near its ends, so that a ring carried by thebottom of a mail bag can be quickly inserted under the plate 29, uponeither side of the extension 28, and said ring is normally held upon theplate prior to the detachment of the bag.

A curved connecting-member 32 is pro vided with bifurcated ends 33, andthe lower, bifurcated end is pivotally mounted, at 34, to the extension28 intermediate its ends, and the upper, bifurcated end is pivotallymounted, by any suitable fastening means, at 35, to the lower eye-boltor loop 25 carried by the extension 23; by means of this connecting-rod32, and its fastening means, when the primary receivingdevice 11 is inits horizontal position, Figs. 1 and 4, the lower receiving-device willalso be held in a horizontal position, and it is only necessary to hookthe upper end of rod 36 over the inner end of the extension 23, and themail bag receiving-device, carried by the car, will be set; when thedevice is set, a bag, as for in stance, 22, can be held between theclamps, constituted by the members or plates 19 and 29 and springs 21and 31. On the rod 5, I, preferably, position collars 37, which act as awasher or a buffer; when the car is moving in one direction, the body 27will be bearing,

at one end, against one of the collars or washers 37, whereas, when thecar is moving in the other direction, the other end of the body will bebearing against the other end of the washer or collar carried by thesupporting member or rod 5.

It is to be noted that the body 27 does not have'to be reversed like thebody 12 of the primary device. All that is necessary is to remove thesuitable fastening means 35, car ried by the lower eye-bolt, subsequentto attaching the hook 36, and then screw inward on said nuts 10, and therod 9 can be quickly detached from its supporting brackets and thedevice reversed. Of course, if it is desired, the hook or catch 36 neednot be used, as the operator can press downward at the inner end of theextension 23, and thereby perform the same function as said hook'orcatch 36. When the receiving device, carried by the ear, is not set, theparts will assume the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4, owing tothe connecting rod 32 and the fact that the weight of the outer end ofthe upper member or device is greater than the weight of the lowerdevice or extension 28.

The stationary combined delivering and receiving-device for my apparatuscomprises a frame, consisting o a platform or ase 38, and secured tosaid base 38 is a central, primary standard 39 and end or auxiliarystandards 40 the end standards 40 are of less'height than the central orprimary standard 39. Suitable braces 41 are pro vided between the endstandards and the central standard for holding the standards rigid andincreasing the durability of the frame. Brackets 42 are secured to theouter faces of the auxiliary or end-standards 40, near their lower ends.J ournaled in brackets 42 is a horizontal crank-arm 43 provided, at itsends, with cranks 44, and. near its center with a crank 45. The centralstandard 39 is provided with a bifurcated portion 46, at its upper end,and 'within the bifurcated portion, is positioned a block 47, which iseveled upon its upper face, at 48, and upon its lower face, at 49. Thebifurcated 301- tion of the central standard 39 is provided withregistering apertures 50 and51. Rotatably mounted in the apertures 50,Fig. 8, is a crank-arm 52, which is provided with a squared portion 53,fitting into a similarlyconstructed portion of the sleeve 54 the sleeve54 fitting around portions of the inner end of the auxiliary lever-arm55, so that when rotary movement is imparted to the crank-arm 52,similar movement will also be imparted to the auxiliary lever-arm 55.The lever-arm is provided, at one end, with a screw-threaded portion 56,upon which is threaded a nut 57, and its opposite end is apertured, at58, for receiving any suitable fastening means, as a cotter )in or ringor bolt 59, whereby the upper, bi urcated end of the rod 61 is securedthereto (Fig. 1). The lower end of the rod 61 is threaded, as at 62, andsaid end 62 is threaded into a U-shaped, inverted member or connection63 the member or connection 63 is pivotally secured, by suitablefastening means, as at 64, to the central crank-arm 45. Owing to thisstructure, synchronous, pivotal movement is imparted to auxiliarylever-arm 55 and shaft or rod 43. The auxiliary lever-arm 55 isbifurcated, at its outer end, and within this bifurcated portion, issecured a pivotal member or plate 65, which is engaged by the outer endof a Hat spring 66, whereby a ring attached to a mail bag may bedetachably secured upon. the member or )late 65. The plate or member 65is capable of pivotal movement, for the reason that when bag 17 isdetached therefrom, the arm may be swung to one side.

A lever arm 67 is, preferably, provided at its inner end, with a weight68, and at its opposite end, with a bifurcated portion 69. In thebifurcated portion 69 is pivotally mounted a plate or member 65, andengaging said plate or member 65, near its outer end, is a spring 66.The spring 66 is iixedly secured, at its inner end to the lever, and theplate or member 65 is pivotally mounted the same as plate 65, and forthesame purpose. When the )rimary lever arm 67 is not in use, it normallylies against the bifurcated portion 48, and when the arm is in use, asshown in Fi 1, it bears against portion 70. When the ever arm 55 is notin use, it rests against the bifurcated. portion 71. The primary leverarm 67 is held in position, when the bag is on the end of said arm seeFig. 1, but as soon as the bag is detached, the arm moves to theposition shown in Fig. 6, thereby engaging portion 48 of the block 47.The bag 17 also performs the function of a lock for holding the crankarms 48 in a substantially horizontal position, thereby retaining thereceiving-arms 72 in a horizontal position for receiving the bag fromthe supporting means carried by the car.

Each receiving-arm 72 is provided with a bag-engaging portion 73, nearits outer end. The arm 73 is provided, intermediate its ends, with anintegral, cylindrical extension 74, which extends into a sleeve 75carried by an end 'standard 40. A detachable sleeve 76 also extends intosaid sleeve 75, and these sleeves 74 and 76 are held together by a bolt77, Fig. 10. It will be seen that I have provided a rotatable bearingfastened to each arm 76. The sleeve 76 is provided with a flangedportion 78 overlap ing the edges of the stationary sleeve 75.onnecting-rods 79 are rovided with bifurcated ends. One end oi each rod79 surrounds a crank-arm 44, and is pivotally connected thereto, at 80,whereas its op osite bifurcated end surrounds a portion 0 an arm 72, andis pivotally connected thereto, at 81, whereby auxiliary lever arm 55and the arms 72 are synchronously moved. 'A coil s ring 82 is fixedlysecured, by a bolt 83, to t e central standard, and its opposite end issecured to the central crank arm 45, near its outer end, and,preferably, between the U- shaped member 63. This spring normally exertsan upward pull upon the centralcrank arm, whereby, as soon as the bag 17is removed, the auxiliary lever arm 55 and the receiving-arms 72 arethrown downward, although, the weight of said arms may be such as tocause the same to move downward; the spring facilitating this movement.The bolt 83 constitutes the ivot, or the fulcrum, of the lever 67, assa1d bolt 83 extends through the registering apertures 51.

'Each arm 72 extends in an opposite direction, so that if the car ismoving in one direction, the bag can be taken from the carholding-device, and if the car is movin in the opposite direction, thebag can be ta en from the car, and synchronously with the removal of thebag from the car, the bag is removed from the stationary supportingdevice, or in other words, bag 17 is removed by the receiving-arm 14.This transfer of one bag from the stationary support to the car and theremoval of the bag from the car to the stationary support is nearlyinstantaneous, as I have found from practical experience, causing thebag delivered to the car to be brought to the side thereof, if thesleeve or cylindrical body 12 is permitted to rotate, and the arms 72,one of which carrying the bag delivered from the car, will swingdownward, as the lock holding the combined receiving and deliveringdevice, supported upon the standards, is removed, owing to the fact thatsaid lock is the bag which is delivered to the car.

Owing to the rod 61being provided with a screw-threaded portion 62, thesame can be adjusted upon the U-shaped member 63 for holding the leverarm 55 and the bagreceiving arm 72 in the proper position the adjustmentof the connection between the central crank-arm 45 and the auxiliarylever arm can be obtained by removing the fastening means 64 androtating the member 63, or by removing the fastening means 59 androtatin the link or rod 61.

What I c aim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of pairs ofbrackets, each bracket provided with a bulged portion, rods providedwith threaded ends detachably mounted in the bulged portions of saidbrackets, nuts threaded upon the rods between the brackets and normallysecuring said rods upon the brackets, and bag-supporting means carriedby said rods between said nuts.

2. In an apparatus ofthe class described, the combination with asupport, of detachable, bodily-movablebagsupporting means carried bysaid su port, sa1d supportingmeans provided wit a clamping and areceiving-arm, and the clamping and receivingarms provided with meansfor permitting the same to be reversed for positioning the same indifferent positions.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of bag-supporting means carried by said support, saidsupporting-means provided with an extension terminating at its outer endin a bagreceiving arm and bag clamping means, said receiving armprovided with a socket, and said clamping means comprising a bifurcatedextension, a pivoted member in said extension, and clamp-springs carriedby the extension and positioned on opposite sides of said member.

4. In an apparatus of thevclass described, the combination with asupport, of bag-supporting means carried by said support, saidsupporting-means rovided with a shaft or ro nuts threade upon said rod,washers or collars carried by said rod between said nuts, and meansprovided with a bag-engaging. device, positioned upon said rod betweensaid collars. v

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a suport, of a bagsupporting device carried y said support, said deviceprovided with an extension terminating at one end in an integral bag-re-I ceiving arm and an extension, said receivingarm provided with abag-receivmg slot, and

said extension provided with a pivoted member positioned therein andwith clamping means secured thereto upon its outer face and engagingopposite sides of said pivotal member.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of a bagengaging device carried by said support, said deviceprovided with a bifurcated extension, a plate pivotally mounted near itscenter in said extension and normally extending upon opposite sidesofthe same, and spring clamp ing-means secured near its center to thebifurcated end and having its ends engaging said plate near its ends,whereby a bag can be secured upon said plate at either side of saidextension.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination withstandards, of a leverarm carried by a standard, a plurality ofbagreceiving arms pivotally mounted upon some of said standards, andmeans connecting said lever-arm and said bag-receiving arm, whereby saidarms are synchronously actuated.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination withstandards, of a lever arm carried by one of said standards, abagreceiving arm carried by the other standard, means connecting saidarms, and means con nected to said connecting means for normallyexerting a pull upon said arms for normally retaining the same in anunset position.

9. In an apparatus of'the class described, the combination with aplurality of standards, of a rod or shaft mounted upon some of saidstandards, bag receiving arms carried by some of said standards, alever-arm carried by one of said standards, and means pivotallyconnecting all of said arms to said rod.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aseries of standards, of

bag-receiving arms carried by a plurality of said standards, and saidarms extending in opposite directions, bag-holding means carried by oneof said standards, means for retaining said bag-receiving arms and saidbagholding means in substantially a horizontal position, and means forsynchronously moving all of said arms to aninclined or unset position.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aseries of standards, a horizontal rod provided with a plurality ofcrank-arms, journaled upon some of said standards, a plurality ofreceiving-arms pivotally mounted upon some of said standards,bag-holding means carried by one of said standards, and a plurality ofconnecting means pivotally connected to said receivingarms andbag-holding means and to said crank-arms.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aplurality of uprights, of a pair of lever arms carried by one of saiduprights, said lever arms provided with bagholding means, one of saidlever-arms provided with an extension, a rotatable member provided withcrank arms carried by some of said uprights, a bag-receiving armpivotally mounted upon one of said uprights, means connecting saidextension to one of the crankarms of said. rotatable member, and meansconnecting the receiving-arm to said rotatable member.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of a leverarm provided with an extension pivotal] T mountedupon said support, a receiving-arm pivotally mounted upon said support,a rotatable member provided with crank-arms, pivotally mounted upon saidsupport, means connecting one of said crank arms to said receiving-arm,and means adjustably connecting the extension to the other crank-arm.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aplurality of vertical uprights, bag holding and supporting means carriedby one of said uprights, lever arms pivotally mounted upon the otheruprights, and extending outwardly in opposite directions therefrom, ashaft, means connecting said bag-receiving arms to said shaft, and meansadjustably connecting said shaft to said bag-holding means, wherebyadjustment of all of the arms of said bag-holding means may be obtained.

15. I11 an apparatus of the class described, the combination withsupports, of movable bag-supporting and holding means carried by saidsupport, bag-receiving means positioned upon opposite sides of saidbag-supporting and holding means and extending in opposite directions,said bag-supporting and holding means and bag-receiving means capable ofbeing retained in a set position, and means for normally actuating saidbag-holding and supporting means and said bag-receiving means for movingthe same to an unset or inclined position.

16. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of bag-holding means positioned upon said support,bag-receiving means positioned at opposite sides of said holding means,said holding and receiving-means provided with means for retaining thesame in a set position when a bag is carried by said holding means, andmeans for synchronously moving all of said bag-holding and saidbag-receiving means when a bag is removed ofl of said bag-holding means.

17. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of a bag-receiving arm carried by said support, a plurality oflever-arms carried by said support, means carried. by said lever-armsfor supporting a bag thereon, and means adjustably connecting one ofsaid leverarms to said bag-receiving arms.

18. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with astandard, of a sleeve mounted in said standard, a crank-arm positionedin said sleeve, means engaging said crankarm. and sleeve for preventingindependent, rotary movement thereof, a lever-arm carried by saidsleeve, a lever-arm positioned above said first-mentioned lever arm,bag-attaching means secured to said arms, and means connected to said-crank-arm for moving the lever-arm attached thereto downward when a bagis removed from said bag-attaching means.

19. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of a sleeve carried by said support, a bag-receiving armprovided with an integral sleeve, the sleeve of said arm positioned inthe first-mentioned sleeve, a detachable sleeve positioned in saidfirst-mentioned sleeve and having its inner end positioned contiguous totheinner end of the sleeve of said arm, and means extending through thesleeve of said arm and the detachable sleeve and securing said arm uponsaid support, and means for holding said arm in a set position.

20. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of bag holding means provided with a pivoted arm, said armprovided with a sleeve havin a squared recess, an arm or shaft providedwith a squared portion fitting into the similarly-constructed ortion' ofsaid sleeve, and means engaging t e last-mentioned arm for holding thesame in an unset position.

21. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of means for holding a bag in osition for being removed by apassing 6 ject, and bag-receiving means upon opposite sides of saidbagholding means and adapted to be synchronously actuated when a bag isremoved from the bag-holding means.

22. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with asupport, of a plurality of separate, movable arms extending in oppositedirections and carried by said support, a shaft carried by said support,said shaft provided with crank-arms and means connecting said crank-armsto said bag-receiving arms, whereby said arms are swung synchronously.

23. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aplurality of standards, of bag-receiving arms positioned upon thestandards and extending outwardly therefrom in opposite directions,means connecting said arms, and bag-holding means connected to saidconnecting means and adapted to hold said arms in a set position, whensaid holding-means is in a set position.

24. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of aplurality of bag-receiving means, bag-holding means positioned betweensaid bag-receiving means, and

means cooperating with said bag-holdin means and bag-receiving means andadapte to hold said bag-receiving means in a set position, when saidbag-receiving means is in a like position.

25. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a carprovided with an opening, of an interchangeable bag-supporting deviceextending across said opening,

said supporting-device comprising a rod detachably secured to said car,bag-supporting means rotatably mounted upon said rod, means carried bysaid rod for detachably securing'said bag-supporting means thereon, andmeans adapted to hold said bag-supporting means in a set positionindependent of the rod.

26. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with astandard, of a bagreceiving arm carried by said standard, saidbag-receiving arm provided with an integral hollow portion extendinginto said standard, a bolt extending through said arm and hollow portionand through said standard, and securing said arm upon said standard.

27. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with astandard, of bagholding means carried by said standard, said bag-holdingmeans comprising an arm, a

